Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Prime Minister recently opened India’s first 5G testbed, which will allow start-ups and industrial companies to test their products locally, eliminating reliance on international facilities.

• He added during the occasion that India’s own 5G standard, 5Gi, was a source of great pride for the country and that it will play a significant role in delivering 5G technology to the country’s villages.

What is 5Gi?

• The 5G Radio Interface Technology, called 5Gi is a locally designed telecommunication network that has been designed by IIT Hyderabad, IIT Madras and the Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology.
• The technology will be an alternative to the global 5G standards.
• 5Gi offers more range at a lower frequency, which is the opposite of 5G. The latter works between the 700 MHz to 52,000 MHz bands and sacrifices on range.

 Benefits of 5Gi:

• Using the 5Gi standard will allow telcos in the country to widen the 5G connectivity to villages.
• Cost-effective.
• 5Gi can make sure there is no lag between the advancement of 5Gi in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and rural parts of the country.

 Challenges of 5Gi:

• This could become problematic for telcos. Their existing setup will have to be re-engineered to support the 5Gi standard. And that will cost them a lot of money once again.
• Moving from 5G to 5Gi will be cost-intensive and most likely make the local bands incompatible with the global network right now. Because 5Gi cannot work with the global 5G standard that is based on the 3GPP technology.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The ongoing row over the Gyanvapi Masjid that is situated adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, has again brought to the fore the controversy around The Places Of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

Background – Gyanvapi Masjid Row

1991: A group of priests in Varanasi petitioned in court, seeking permission to worship on the Gyanvapi premises.

2019: The Allahabad High Court ordered a stay on an ASI survey that was requested by the petitioners.

2022 (current): Five Hindu women sought to routinely worship Shringar Gauri and other idols within the Gyanvapi mosque complex (behind the western wall of the premises).

• A videographed survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid complex was ordered by Varanasi court – report was to be submitted in May but got delayed.
• The order was challenged by Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board and the mosque committee.
• Turning down the plea, the Varanasi court said: “In any case, the survey work won’t be stopped whether parties cooperate or don’t.”

The Gyanvapi Masjid Survey 2022

• Hindu Side: Claimed that a Shivling was found inside a reservoir on the mosque complex
• Muslim Side: Dismissed the claim and said it was only a fountain. The mosque committee’s plea argued that the fresh suits filed in 2021 citing the “right to Worship” were “barred by The Places of Worship Act, 1991,” and were an attempt to revive the dispute which had been put to rest by this law.

The Places of Worship Act, 1991

Seeks to prohibit the conversion of a place of worship and maintain its religious character as was at the time of India’s Independence on August 15, 1947.

• In force: Since July 11, 1991
• If any suit, appeal, or other proceedings concerning the conversion of the religious traits of any place of worship, existing on August 15, 1947, is pending before any court, tribunal or other authority, the same shall abate. It further stipulates that no fresh proceedings on such matters shall be initiated.
• The Act prohibits conversion of a religious place in any manner, even to cater to a particular section of the religion.
• The Act exempts any place of worship, which is “an ancient and historical monument or an archaeological site or remains covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (24 of 1958) or any other law for the time being in force”.
• Penal Provision: Anyone contravening the prohibition on converting the status of a place of worship is liable to be imprisoned for up to three years, and a fine. Those abetting or participating in a criminal conspiracy to commit this offence will also get the same punishment.

Why Was the Act Introduced?

• Brought about by a Bill introduced by the erstwhile Union Home Minister in the PV Narasimha Rao Cabinet, Shankarrao Bhavrao Chavan.
• The Act was passed when BJP leader LK Advani’s Rath Yatra for the Ram Janambhoomi movement had gained massive support.
• In the wake of Advani’s arrest in Bihar and the shooting of kar sevaks in Uttar Pradesh — ordered by the Mulayam Singh government — Chavan sought to prevent incidents of communal unrest through the Bill.

Challenge to the Places of Worship Act

Challenged by: BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay challenged the Places of Worship Act, 1991, last year in the Supreme Court.

Argument: The law was a contravention of the principle of secularism as laid down by the Constitution of India.

• The Centre has barred remedies against illegal encroachment on places of worship and pilgrimages and now Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs cannot file a suit or approach a high court under Article 226.
• Therefore, they won’t be able to restore their places of worship and pilgrimage including temple endowments in the spirit of Articles 25-26 and the illegal barbarian acts of invaders will continue in perpetuity.

Pertained to: A legal battle before a trial court over “reclaiming the birthplace of Lord Krishna in Mathura”, which was directly affected by the restrictions under the 1991 Act.

What are the exception under the act?

• An exception was made to keep the Babri Masjid-Ram Janambhoomi dispute out of its ambit as the structure was then the subject of litigation.
• The 1991 Act will not apply to ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains that are covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
• It will also not apply to any suit that has been finally settled or disposed of, any dispute that has been settled by the parties before the 1991 Act came into force, or to the conversion of any place that took place by acquiescence.

What are the grounds of challenge?

• Constrains Judicial Remedy: The act amounts to taking away the right of the people to seek justice through the courts and obtain a judicial remedy. The petitioner argues that the Act takes away the rights of communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains to reclaim the sites of their places of worship through legal proceedings.
• Contention on Cut-off date: The petitioner also contends that the cut-off date of August 15, 1947, is arbitrary and irrational.
• Issue of Exemption: The petition contends that the legislation legalises the actions of invaders in the past who demolished places of worship. It wonders how the law could exempt the birthplace of Ram, but not that of Krishna.
• Restriction on Fundamental Right to Practise Religion: The petition also said the law violates the right to practise and propagate religion, as well as the right to manage and administer places of worship.

• Not in spirit of Secularism: Further, petition has argued that that act goes against the principle of secularism and the state’s duty to preserve and protect religious and cultural heritage.

What has the SC said on the status freeze?

• In its final verdict on the Ayodhya dispute, the Supreme Court had observed that the Act “imposes a non-derogable obligation towards enforcing our commitment to secularism”.
• The court went on to say: “Non-retrogression is a foundational feature of the fundamental constitutional principles, of which secularism is a core component.”
• The court described the law as one that preserved secularism by not permitting the status of a place of worship to be altered after Independence.
• In words of caution against further attempts to change the character of a place of worship, the five-judge Bench said, “Historical wrongs cannot be remedied by the people taking the law in their own hands. In preserving the character of places of public worship, Parliament has mandated in no uncertain terms that history and its wrongs shall not be used as instruments to oppress the present and the future.”

What are the implications of the case?

• Contentious Places: Some Hindu organisations have been laying claim to the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Idgah in Mathura. 
• Controversy in Mathura: Civil suits have been filed in a Mathura court seeking the shifting of the 17th-century mosque from the spot that some claim is the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
• Dilution of 1991 law impacts outcome: Any order that strikes down or dilutes the 1991 law on the status of places of worship is likely to influence the outcome of such proceedings.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

At a conference hosted by New Delhi, India, Pakistan, and other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation  discussed enhancing cooperation in fighting various regional security problems.

• The conference is being held as part of the SCO’s Regional Anti Terrorist Structure (RATS).

Background:

India assumed chairmanship of the Council of Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of SCO (RATS SCO) on October 28 last year for a period of one year.

About RATS:

• The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), is headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
• It is a permanent organ of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) which serves to promote cooperation of member states against the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism.
• It specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

About the SCO:

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organization.

• The Creation of SCO was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China).
• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Charter was signed during the St.Petersburg SCO Heads of State meeting in June 2002, and entered into force on 19 September 2003.
• It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism.

 Founding members of SCO were-

• The Republic of Kazakhstan,
• The People’s Republic of China,
• The Kyrgyz Republic,
• The Russian Federation,
• The Republic of Tajikistan,
• The Republic of Uzbekistan.

Background:

• Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan were members of the Shanghai Five, Prior to the creation of SCO in 2001.
• Shanghai Five (1996) emerged from a series of border demarcation and demilitarization talks which the four former Soviet republics held with China to ensure stability along the borders.
• Uzbekistan joined the Organisation in 2001, following this the Shanghai Five was renamed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
• India and Pakistan became members in 2017.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The Reserve Bank of India, in a surprise move, announced that the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) had held an ‘off-cycle’ meeting at which it had decided unanimously to raise the “policy repo rate by 40 basis points to 4.40%, with immediate effect”.

• The MPC had judged that the inflation outlook warranted an appropriate and timely response through resolute and calibrated steps to ensure that the second-round effects of supply side shocks on the economy were contained and long-term inflation expectations were kept firmly anchored.
• RBI’s monetary policy response would help preserve macro-financial stability amid increasing volatility in financial markets.

What is the Repo Rate?

• One of several direct and indirect instruments that are used by the RBI for implementing monetary policy.
• The RBI defines the repo rate as the fixed interest rate at which it provides overnight liquidity to banks against the collateral of government and other approved securities under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF).
• In other words, when banks have short-term requirements for funds, they can place government securities that they hold with the central bank and borrow money against these securities at the repo rate.

Since this is the rate of interest that the RBI charges commercial banks such as State Bank of India and ICICI Bank when it lends them money, it serves as a key benchmark for the lenders to in turn price the loans they offer to their borrowers.

Why is the repo rate such a crucial monetary tool?

The repo rate system allows central banks to control the money supply within economies by increasing or decreasing the availability of funds.

How does the repo rate work?

• As the direct loan pricing relationship
• Functions as a monetary tool by helping to regulate the availability of liquidity or funds in the banking system.
• For instance, when the repo rate is decreased, banks may find an incentive to sell securities back to the government in return for cash. This increases the money supply available to the general economy.
• Conversely, when the repo rate is increased, lenders would end up thinking twice before borrowing from the central bank at the repo window thus, reducing the availability of money supply in the economy.

Impact of Repo Rate change on inflation

• Inflation can broadly be: mainly demand driven price gains, or a result of supply side factors that in turn push up the costs of inputs used by producers of goods and providers of services, thus spurring inflation, or most often caused by a combination of both demand and supply side pressures.
• Changes to the repo rate to influence interest rates and the availability of money supply primarily work only on the demand side by making credit more expensive and savings more attractive and therefore dissuading consumption. However, they do little to address the supply side factors.

What is Monetary Policy Committee?

• Urjit Patel committee in 2014 recommended the establishment of the Monetary Policy Committee.
• It is a statutory and institutionalized framework under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, for maintaining price stability, while keeping in mind the objective of growth.
• Composition: Six members (including the Chairman) – three officials of the RBI and three external members nominated by the Government of India.
• The Governor of RBI is ex-officio Chairman of the committee
• Functions: The MPC determines the policy interest rate (repo rate) required to achieve the inflation target (presently 4%). Decisions are taken by majority with the RBI Governor having the casting vote in case of a tie.

Repo vs Reverse Repo Rate

• Repo rate is the rate at which the Central Bank grants loans to the commercial banks against government securities.
• Reverse repo rate is the interest offered by RBI to banks who deposit funds with them.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Distribution of iron fortified rice through government schemes as a “silver bullet” to curb anaemia must stop in States like Jharkhand, which have large tribal populations that suffer from sickle-cell anaemia, thalassemia, and tuberculosis, for whom an overload of iron can create adverse health issues, warn activists –

• Neither field functionaries nor beneficiaries had been educated about the potential harms
• There were no warning labels despite the food regulator’s rules on fortified foods.
• Where fortified rice is being distributed under Central government-funded schemes such as the public distribution system (PDS); PM-Poshan (erstwhile mid-day meal scheme) at schools; and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS or anganwadi services), consent is not being obtained from beneficiaries.

The Effects

Jharkhand is an endemic zone of sickle cell disorder and thalassemia, with a prevalence of 8%-10%, which is twice the national average. Jharkhand is also an endemic zone for malaria — in 2020, the State ranked third in the country in malaria deaths.

• Thalassemia, sickle cell anaemia and malaria are conditions where there is already excess iron in the body, whereas TB patients are unable to absorb iron.
• Consumption of iron-fortified foods among patients of these diseases can reduce immunity and the reduce functionality of organs.
• In a large-scale approach to rice fortification like the one being adopted by governments right now, even a screening process prior to fortified rice distribution does not resolve the problem of at-risk individuals because, within a household, it is unlikely that two different kinds of rice (fortified and unfortified) will be cooked for every meal for the contra-indicated cases and healthy persons.
• It is also unlikely that the government would be able to put into place any mechanisms by which entitlements of each person in a household can be distributed distinctly in the PDS system as fortified and non-fortified rice to cater to individual needs and medical conditions.

The Way Ahead

Nutrition cannot be approached through a micronutrient-by-micronutrient formula and needs a holistic approach.

• Supply and distribution of iron fortified rice should stop in Jharkhand, and the State government must reject rice fortification in government food schemes as an approach to tackling malnutrition.
• Promoting diet diversity by adding millets, pulses and eggs to the PDS is recommended.
• The number of Indians with such diseases is significant, and most are not even aware that they have such conditions. In this one-size-fits-all solution, fortified rice is being pushed onto unsuspecting citizens who have not given their prior informed consent.
• Large scale fortification will lead to irreversible market shifts, with concomitant infrastructure changes in the supply chain.
• On the other hand, protein-rich diets, millets, healthy fats, traditional kinds of rice that are nutritionally superior, staple grains that are traditionally processed to preserve their nutrients, local (uncultivated) greens, diverse forest foods, and other materials can come from millions of kitchen gardens and other locally-led efforts, will all be neglected by such a policy.

Fortified Rice

• Fortification is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, Vitamin A & D to staple foods such as rice, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content. These nutrients may or may not have been originally present in the food before processing.
• Fortification of Rice: According to the Food Ministry, fortification of rice is a cost-effective and complementary strategy to increase vitamin and mineral content in diets.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The Supreme Court has slammed the Kerala government for State’s inaction in providing relief to the Endosulfan pesticide exposure victims.

• This also amounts to a breach of the apex court’s 2017 judgment, which had ordered the State to pay ₹5 lakh each to the victims in three months.

 What is Endosulfan?

It is a widely-banned pesticide with hazardous effects on human genetic and endocrine systems.

• It does not occur naturally in the environment.
• It is listed under the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent.
• Use of endosulfan is banned by Stockholm Convention  on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

The Supreme Court in India has banned the manufacture, sale, use, and export of endosulfan throughout the country, citing its harmful health effects in 2011.

 Uses:

Sprayed on crops like cotton, cashew, fruits, tea, paddy, tobacco etc. for control of pests in agriculture such as whiteflies, aphids, beetles, worms etc.

Effects on humans:

• This pesticide is a known carcinogen, neurotoxin and genotoxin (damages DNA).
• Endosulfan blocks the inhibitory receptors of the CNS, disrupts the ionic channels and destroys the integrity of the nerve cells.

 Environmental effects:

• Endosulfan in the environment gets accumulated in food chains leading to higher doses causing problems.

• If Endosulfan is released to water, it is expected to absorb to the sediment and may bioconcentrate in aquatic organisms.

What is Kerala’s case?

From the mid-70s, Kerala villages used aerial spraying of endosulfan on 4,600-ha. cashew nut plantation. Locals reportedly experienced illnesses, palsies and deformities

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The Government is yet to announce a successor to the country’s top military post, post death of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat.

• The reason for the delay: The Government is reassessing the concept of the post as well as the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) and is looking to streamline the setup.

Role of the Chief of Defence Staff

The Government’s decision in 2019 to create the post of a CDS, a long-pending demand to bring in tri-service synergy and integration, is the biggest top-level military reform since independence.

• The Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister and Permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC). However, the three Chiefs will continue to advise the Defence Minister on matters exclusively concerning their respective Services
• In addition, the Department of Military Affairs was created as the fifth department in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) with the CDS functioning as its Secretary.
• Broad mandate of the CDS: includes bringing about jointness in “operations, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance of the three Services, within three years of the first CDS assuming office.”
• Bring about synergy and optimise procurements, training and logistics and facilitate restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/ theatre commands.
• Evaluate plans “for ‘Out of Area Contingencies’, as well other contingencies such as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)”.
• The specialised tri-service divisions — special operations, defence cyber and defence space — were also brought under the ambit of the CDS.

Why the rethink?

• Dichotomy in the roles and responsibilities with the several hats worn by the CDS and also overlap in responsibilities between the DMA and DoD.
• On the ambitious timelines set for the creation of theatre commands and also the number of commands and their envisaged format.

The Way Forward:

• To have a CDS with operational powers who will after due legislative changes have theatre commanders report to him while the Service Chiefs will look after the raise, train and sustain functions of respective Services.
• In this direction, it is being looked at if the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) can function as the Secretary DMA reporting directly to the CDS.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Pullulan polymer

• The biomaterial is derived from the polymer pullulan which is secreted by the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans.
• It is an exopolysaccharide, that is, this polymer is secreted by the fungus itself into the medium on which it is growing.
• Pullulan as a biomaterial is already successful and widely used commercially.
• It is exploited in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry because of its non-toxic, non-mutagenic and non-immunogenic properties.
• In the biomedicine sector, it has been used for drug and gene delivery

Disinfecting the wounds and hastening the process of healing

• Pullulan is basically a polymeric chain of glucose by keeping the biocompatible carbohydrate backbone of the polymer intact and adding some quaternary ammonium groups, make the polymer positively charged
• They process the polymer to get a powder which is water-soluble. This solution can be applied on the wound surface and then covered with sterile gauze. This can also be used in a gel form.
• With this gel the wounds can be disinfected and also healed faster.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

In yeast cells, a protein (sbp1) promotes disintegration of RNA granules, the study found that the Sbp1 protein helps in reducing the aggregates of human proteins involved in neurodegenerative disorders.

What is an RNA granule?

• In the cytoplasm of any cell and one comes across structures made of messenger RNA (mRNA) and proteins known as RNA granules
• Unlike other structures in the cell (such as mitochondria), the RNA granules are not covered and confined by a membrane
• This makes them highly dynamic in nature, thereby allowing them to constantly exchange components with the surrounding
• RNA granules are present in the cytoplasm at low numbers under normal conditions but increase in number and size under stressful conditions including diseases.
• A defining feature which does not change from one organism to another (conserved) of the RNA granule protein components is the presence of stretches containing repeats of certain amino acids
• Such stretches are referred to as low complexity regions. Repeats of arginine (R), glycine (G) and glycine (G) — known as RGG — are an example of low complexity sequence.

Protein Synthesis

• Messenger RNAs are converted to proteins (building blocks of the cell) by the process of translation.
• RNA granules determine messenger RNA (mRNA) fate by deciding when and how much protein would be produced from mRNA.
• Protein synthesis is a multi-step and energy expensive process.
• Therefore, a common strategy used by cells when it encounters unfavorable conditions is to shut down protein production and conserve energy to deal with the stressful situation.
• RNA granules help in the process of shutting down protein production.
• Some RNA granule types (such as Processing bodies or P-bodies) not only regulate protein production but also accomplish degradation and elimination of the mRNAs, which in turn helps in reducing protein production.

Treatment of disease

• In recent years, a strong link has emerged between RNA granules and neurodegenerative disorders such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD).
• The proteins implicated in these diseases are RNA binding proteins that can reside in RNA granules.
• These proteins also contain low complexity sequences (repeats of amino acids) that are important for their movement into RNA granules.
• In fact, these proteins are deposited as insoluble granules/aggregates in the neurons of ALS and FTD patients which are believed to contribute to the pathophysiology of these diseases.
• Finding ways of solubilizing these aggregates could provide a breakthrough in treating these diseases.

Findings of the study

• A recent study has identified a protein (Sbp1) as a factor that dissolves the RNA granules (P-bodies)
• The work also concluded that low complexity sequences (containing repeats of arginine (R) and glycine (G) amino acids — RGG) which normally promote granule formation, in this case promote the disintegration of RNA granules in yeast cells.
• The identified protein Sbp1 is specific for dissolving P-bodies and not stress granules which are related RNA granule types also present in the cytoplasm.
• This finding can be used to treat neurodegenerative disorders such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD).

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

• Devasahayam was recommended for the process of Beatification by the Vatican in 2004.
• With the completion of the process, Devasahayam Pillai, who took the name “Lazarus” after embracing Christianity in 1745, on may 15th became first Indian layman to be declared a saint by Pope Francis during an impressive canonisation ceremony at the Vatican.

 Where abouts of Devasahayam:

• Devasahayam was born on April 23, 1712, as Neelakanta Pillai into a Hindu Nair family, at Nattalam in Kanyakumari district, which was part of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom.
• He was an official in the court of Travancore’s Maharaja Marthanda Varma when he was instructed into the Catholic faith by a Dutch naval commander.
• “Lazarus” or “Devasahayam” in Malayalam, translates to “God is my help”.